Photograph developing machine



March 13, 1951 M2 1 2,545,031

PHOTOGRAPH DEVELOPING MACHINE Filed Nov. 22, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet l March 13, 1951 A. an 2,545,031

PHOTOGRAPH DEVELOPING MACHINE Filed Nov. 22, 1946 '4 Sheets-Sheet 2 2 Lug-2;

Lmw

March 13, 1951 A122 2,545,031

PHOTOGRAPH DEVELOPING MACHINE Filed Nov. 22, 1946 I 4 Sheets-Sheet a l J H March 13, 195.1 A. lZZl 2,545,031

' PHOTOGRAPH DEVELOPING MACHINE Filed Nov. 22, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 l atented Mar. 13, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE PHOTOGRAPH DEVELOPING MACHINE Anthonylzzi, Boston, Mass. Application-November 22, 1946, Serial No. 711,721 I 4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to machines :for developing photographs, and. more'rparticularly for developing photographic negatives One object of theiinvention' is to provide improved mechanism for passing/the negatives successively through the various: operative steps, such as developing; fixing, washing, draining, and drying.

A further object i's to provide improved .means for-shielding the: negative from access :byv light thereto during.those'iportions of the treatment where light would be detrimental.

A further object of theainvention is to provide automatic manipulation of the negatives whereby the negatives'to be developed are loaded and automatically fed into and. through the machine, and the completely treated negatives are automatically delivered therefrom.

For a complete understanding of this invention, together with further. objects and advantages, reference may-she had to the accompanying drawings-in which Figuresl and '2 are'top lplanl. and sideelevational views, respectively, of a machine embodying the invention,-the' outeraenclosure being omitted,

Figure 3 is" a fragmentary perspective view showing the supporting meansfor individual negatives Figure i is a detail vertical sectional view to a larger scaleon line 4-+4 of Figure2;

Figures 5, 6 and 7 are fragmentary'side elevations to a larger scalethan Figure 2 showing one of the endless carriers in position tohold the feed frame atits upper and lower positions, and at an intermediate position, respectively.

Figures 8-, 9 and 10are fragmentary side ele-' vations to a larger scale than Figure 2 of an intermediate portion of the machine and showing the light trapandrelated-parts different positions.

Figure 11 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view online lI-H of Figure 8.

Figures12 and 13 are fragmentary side elevations similar to a portion of Figure 2, but to a larger scale andshowing the discharging portion of the machine in different positions.

Figure 14 is a detail sectional View on line I l-I4 of Figure 12.

Referring first to Figures 1 and 2, the machine comprises a suitable casing having an end wall or partition I slotted at 2 for the passage therethrough of cages 3 (see Figure 3) which are arranged to support a series of negative holders 4. Thispartition I formsthe boundarybetween a dark room and a lightedeexterior, everything'to the left of the wall 1. being within the darkroom. The negative holders'tl" are of W811"kn0Wn--'-0O11 struction and are provided with means forholding the negatives 5, such as plates or films, and each holder is provided at-rits upper edgecwitha transverse hanger ii -which may be engaged in any of a plurality ofnotches 1 in sidewall members 8 of the cages 3. "Each cage may. have end extensions, one being-shownat '9, whichare adapted to rest on varioussupporting:members, as-the-cage with its-load of negatives is-transported through the machine. 7

To the left of the partitionzl, the. machineis provided with a plurality of tanks), ll a-ndlZ arranged in series; As shown, therear-eethree tanks [0 which are intended=to contain'thede v veloper, one tank I l which-is intended -to contain wash water, and three tanks--12 intendedto contain the fixing bath.- Beyond the fixing bath there are other tanks 13 for-containing washing water by which the-fixing chemicalsare removed from thenegatives, 'Ihecageswith their negatives to be developed-are -transported-=- stepby step intothe-various tanks; being allowed to remain in each tank. for-a period and then-transferred to i the next adjacent "tank; and from the final tank to suitable supports on which the negatives are first '-drainedand: then; dried to complete the-operation The negatives are so transpiortedstep -by step through" the" machine by "a four -motion feed mechanism comprisinga feed-iframe l5 which is moved in-a four 'motion feed path. This frame [5 has a pair of side rails 16 provided with upward projections IT'spaced' to provide between them seats 18 for; supporting the enda-portions fl of the cages; as-shown bestin Figures-"5,6 and 7 and 8, 9 and 10.

The feed frame I5 has end walls!!! and 12 0 which hold the side rails 16 in proper spaced relation. This feed frame is supported formation in its four-'motionpath by 'Fbeing'secured on' each side at 'two points to endles's'chains 25, four of these chains being shown, twoonea'ch side, *each supported on four sprocket wheels ZB' arranged in rectangular? array;eachsidefiframewlfi being fixed to one-of these chain's at a single pointas at'30 (see Figures '1, 2', 4, 5, 6 and-7') The locations of these points 30 are'such asto' maintain the frame I5 substantiallyhorizontal at alltimes, but it is given a motion as these chains are moved; forwardly in its uppermost position' then downwardly,then rearwardly, 'and'then upwardly to complete the cycle-of -motion.- When T the frame I5 is in its lowered position, as shown in Figure 6, it is entirely below the upper edges of the end walls of the tanks, so that any cages which may have been supported thereby over the tanks are left supported by the tank during the time that the feed frame is being given its backward motion so that the negatives do not partake of this backward motion of the feed frame. When the feed frame is lifted, it engages the end portions 9 of the cages which are supported on the ends of the tanks and lifts these cages up out of the tanks, moves them forwardly one step and then downwardly to lower the cages into a succeeding tank or onto a support beyond the last tank of the series. This support is shown at on Figures 2, l2 and 13 and will be further described later.

The sequence of feed of the cages with the negatives carried thereby is shown in Figures 5,

6 and 7 in which four cages a, b, c, d have been illustrated. In the position shown in Figure 5, all of these cages are in lifted position with their negatives lifted out from the various tanks, the feed frame shown at the forward limit of its feed motion. The feed frame then descends to the position shown in Figure 6, lowering the cages a, b, c and d into the various tanks, and while the cages are so supported by the tanks, the feed frame moves rearwardly out of contact therewith and then starts its upward motion as shown in Figure '7. The cages are then lifted from the tanks, but it will be noted that the seats which supported the cages in Figure 1 have now been removed one step to the left so that the cages are one step further to the right with respect to the feed frame than they were previously. The feed frame then completes its cycle to the position shown in Figure 5, moving each of the cages one step forward so that when the feed frame next descends, each of the cages has been moved to the next tank in the series or to the support 35. The negatives to be developed are placed in a cage upon the feed frame just to the left of the first tank It], the feed frame at this portion constituting a cage support, and as the feed frame is given its first feed motion the cage is carried over the first tank after which it and the preceding cages are advanced step by step to be treated sequentially in the proper manner by the developing, washing and fixing solutions, and the final washing in the right hand tank 13. Suitable means may be provided, of course, for establishing a flow of washing water through the tanks i I and I 3, but as this is old and well known in the art, no description of it is necessary.

The motion of the feed frame is produced by driving one of each set of sprocket wheels 26, and as shown in Figure 2, the adjacent pair of each set on one side of the machine is connected through sprocket wheels 39 fixed to the shafts which carry the driven sprocket wheels with the drive chain 40, which also passes about the driving sprocket wheels 4| fixed to a drive shaft 42 which extends across the frame of the machine and may be rotated as by a motor 43 through a suitable gear box 54 by which the rate of rotation of the shaft 42 and thus the rate of motion of the feed frame may be regulated as desired.

As before noted, the wall I has to be apertured so that the negatives can be passed therethrough from the dark room portion of the machine to the outside, but it is important that light be prevented from leaking in through this aperhire or slot 2 into those portions of the apparatus where light would be harmful to the negatives. A

light trap is therefore employed, which is shown best in Figures 8 to 10. It comprises a pair of opaque curtains 5B spaced lengthwise of the machine and suspended from a frame 5| which is slidably guided in horizontal ways 52 (see Figure 11) carried by the side frame members 53 of the machine. These curtains are positioned in line with the aperture 2 and are of sufficient size to extend beyond the margins of the aperture so as to effectively shield portions back of the first curtain from light passing through the slot 2. The lower edges of the curtains 59 extend down almost to the upper edges of the tanks and they are arranged for simultaneous motion with the cages in the direction of feed so as to permit the cages with their negatives to be moved through the machine without interference thereby, but they are held against vertical motion with the feed frame or with the cages. The means for so moving the curtains is actuated from the feed frame. As shown best in Figures 8, 9 and 10, the side walls of the feed frame support a pair of triangular uprights, each comprising a vertical rod 55, and an inclined brace rod 56, which is secured at its upper end to the top of the rod 55 and at its lower end to the feed frame l5 spaced from the lower end of the vertical rod 55. The vertical rod 55 has slidably mounted thereon a slide formed as a ball 51, which is connected to the curtain support 5| by the rod 58. The feed frame can thus move vertically without corresponding movement of the curtains as may be seen by a comparison of Figures 8, 9 and 10, but forward and backward movement of the feed frame I5 is imparted to the curtains.

As shown the curtains are spaced apart sufficiently to permit two cages to be positioned therebetween, though the precise number may be varied as desired. When the feed frame is in lifted position, as shown in Figure 8, a pair of these cages may be positioned between the curtains 50. When the feed frame is moved forwardly, these cages and the curtains move therewith so that this relationship between the cages and curtains is not disturbed. When the feed frame descends, the cages are lowered below the lower edges of the curtains and as the feed frame is thereafter retracted, the curtains are retracted with it to the left, as shown in Figure 9 by the arrow, so that the curtains move back to a position so that the cage previously just back of the forward curtain 50 is now beyond this curtain, and the second cage which was previously just forward of the rear curtain 50 is moved up to a position just rearwardly of the forward curtain 5B. Thus the cages with the negatives are moved forward without hindrance by the curtains, the curtains themselves moving backward and forward with the corresponding motion of the feed frame, but remaining always in position to block off light from the aperture 2.

When the cages have been lifted from the last rinsing tank l3 they are fed onto the supports 35 as previously mentioned. Each support 35, there being such a support on each side of the machine, is specially formed however to facilitate the draining of the wash water from the negatives. As shown best in Figures 2, 12, and 13 each of the supports 35 is stepped, having riser portions 60 with tread portions 6| between adjacent riser portions 60. These tread portions 61 are inclined to the horizontal lengthwise and are arranged to support the end portions 9 of the cages thereon in such inclined relation as to present the forward lower corners of the negative holders 4- in the lowest positionsbein'g in planes substantially paraIleL-With -the supports 35.so as to facilitate the draining of the-wash-uwater to these corners from which-it will drippif. These step supports 35 are-progressively higher, the lastone 53 of-the series having a horizontal tread portion-and being extended for a-substantial distanceterminating at iill. I Ihis portion 63 is above the highest position of the feedframe l5 so that this feed frame has no effect to-raise andlower the plate holdersafter -they reach this step.

They aremerely moved-forward by-the feed motion of theframe i5,=-.an'd-for=this purpose it is shown asprovide'd with a -pushingselement 66 tread EI,- and on lifting and forward motion of the frame this cage is lifted; and carried'over the first horizontal portion63 on..the elevated support. On lowering of the feed frame this last cage is deposited on the lifted portion 63 in position to be engaged and pushed: forwardly by the front face ofthe loop 66.on the next forward motion of the..feed.frame.- The feed frame-cross connectionlifl issufiicientlylow so as'notto interfere with thepassage ofthecages and the parts carried thereby. Bythe time the cages reach the portions 63, the negatives have been substantially drained. "They mayalsobe subjected to aidrying current of airiwhichamay be.derived from one or more fans iii ..(see..Figure 2)kwhich may be driven from a motor 7i through suitable belts l2 and driving pulleys 73. "The complete drying may be accelerated by the use of a series of infra-red lamps at 'i the rays of -which are directed downwardly toward the cages but so that the drying proceeds without undue temperature rise of the negatives or of the surrounding atmosphere.

By the time the cages have reached the end 5 3 of the upper step 63, they are dried and in condition to be removed. Means are therefore provided for transferring the cages with their dried negatives from the supports 35 and feeding them out from the machine. As shown there is provided a transfer mechanism comprising a pair of laterally spaced rods 75 which form substantial extensions of the supports 35, these rods being held by brackets i6 vertically slidable on guide rods ll. slidable axially of the rods are ejector blocks 13 through which are vertically slidable rods ?9. These rods it are provided with collars 85 fixed thereto at a height from the lower ends of the rod 79 such that when the feed frame i5 is in its uppermost position, the rods 15 are maintained in substantial alinement with the supports 35 by reason of extensions 82 from the feed frames 55 underlying the lowerends of the rods it, and holding the collars 80 at the desired elevation. This is shown in Figure 12. In this position of the parts the forward motion of the feed frame :5 may feed one of the cages off of the 7 supports 35 and on to the rods 75, as shown in Figure 12 in dotted lines. Subsequent lowering of the feed frame 15 permits the rods '15 to descend to the position shown in Figure 13 where the brackets 76 rest upon collars 85 adjustably fixed to the rods TI. This brings the transfer rods 35 into substantial alinement with platform side members 90 pivoted at 9| at the upper end of an inclined slideway 92. These platform members 952 have fixed thereto downwardly extending bars 9%, the lower ends of which are connected by springs 93 with a fixed pin 94, which, as shown theends of the bars9llll.there aremivotedthereto guide bosses 97 through which slide rods iiti. The rear end: of each-rod '98: is pivoted as at 95 to the forwardendofthe feed frame- 15. "An-pair of nuts 953 areadjustably secured-totheopposite end portions of the rods T 98.: These parts are so arranged that as the feed frame retracts, itipullsthe ejector blocks is: rearwardly, whichm0ves but a cage which may be:- carried by the -transfer rods i 15 onto the-platform members 9tz Then, as the feed frame it lifts toasufficient extent, the nuts "1961: engaging on the bosse'sti, pull the arms 98E) rearwardly into the do'tted :linei position shown in Figure 13, tilting 1 the platform -members 9i] downwardly and depositing the cage onto the inelined slide 92 along which it descends by gravity 1i tot-its forwar'd straight endportion 99 where it 1 zcan be removed from I the machineby the operator, the negatives ibeing ithen in fully developed and dried condition.

As the feed frame '55 moves upwardly-and then forwardly, therplatform members SE} are returned to' their upwardly inclined positions' and' the transfer rods iii are moved up into substantial alinement with the supports to" receive the fleXt' cage in the series.

. It will be seen from the foregoing description i -Of: the embo diment -of the li invention 5 that" the 'negatives'are fedstepby step athrough' the various treating portions of the machine andare finally delivered in fully treated condition automatically, while duringthe..-necessary-time, they are protected against the effects of. light; and thatthe :machine is. fullyiautoniatic from the placing of the cages with the-undeveloped negatives' there- 1. In combination, a support having a seriesof stepped portions having their upper faces inclined to the horizontal lengthwise, a plurality of cages each having portions for supported engagement by said stepped portions, said cages having walls for supporting plate elements with their planes substantially parallel with the sides of said support and means for moving said cages successively from stepped portion to stepped portion, said stepped portions supporting said cages tilted to cause a corner of each plate element carried by said cages to be positioned lowest to localize drainage from said plate element of liquid previously picked up by said plate element.

2. A support along which articles may be moved, a downwardly inclined slide having its upper end adjacent to one end of said support, a four-motion feed mechanism for raising and then moving forwardly articles on said support and thereafter lowering and then retracting out of contact with such articles to thereby move such articles intermittently toward said support end, the upper end of said slide being below said support, a transfer mechanism movable between a lifted position to receive articles from said support and a lower position adjacent to the upper end of said slide, connections between said transfer mechanism and feed mechanism causing the up and down motion of said feed mechanism to move said transfer mechanism in the corresponding direction, a platform hinged to the upper portion of said slide and movable between an upper angular position to receive articles from said transfer mechanism and a lowered angular position to deposit such articles on said slide, an ejector movable along said transfer mechanism to eject articles moved thereonto from said transfer mechanism onto said platform, connections between said ejector and said feed mechanism causing forward and backward motion of said feed mechanism to actuate said ejector, and operative connections from said feed mechanism to said platform causing said platform to tip downwardly when said feed mechanism approaches fully retracted lifted position.

3. In combination, a support having a series of stepped portions having their upper faces inclined to the horizontal lengthwise, a plurality of cages each having portions for supported engagement by said stepped portions, said cages having walls for supporting plate elements with their planes substantially parallel with the sides of said support, said stepped portions supporting said cages tilted to cause a corner of each plate element carried by said cages to be positioned lowest to localize drainage from said plate element of liquid previously picked up thereby, an elevated support, a four-motion feed frame positioned to feed cages successively from one stepped portion to the next, said frame having an upwardly extending portion engageable when said frame is lowered beneath a cage on the highest stepped portion to raise it therefrom when said frame is lifted and deposit it onto said elevated support, said upwardly extending portion being positioned to push cages deposited on said elevated support therealong as said frame is moved forwardly.

4. In combination, a support having a series of stepped portions, a plurality of elements each having portions for supported engagement by said stepped portions, an elevated support, a four-motion feed frame positioned to feed elements successively from one stepped portion to the next, said frame having an upwardly extending portion engageable when said frame is lowered beneath an element on the highest stepped portion to raise said element therefrom when said frame is lifted and deposit said raised element onto said elevated support, said upwardly extending portion being positioned to push elements deposited on said elevated support therealong as said frame is moved forwardly.

ANTHONY IZZI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,061,667 Gerhard May 13, 1913 1,434,859 Taylor Nov. 7, 1922 1,840,238 Long Jan. 5, 1932 1,842,890 Williams Jan. 26, 1932 1,939,426 Wilcox et a1 Dec. 12, 1933 1,974,890 Long Sept. 25, 1934 2,004,410 Houch et al. June 11, 1935 2,124,106 Dye July 19, 1938 2,245,673 Huenerfauth June 1'7, 1941 2,379,911 Kottman July 10, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date Great Britain of 1890 

